Here at the Consumer Choice Center (CCC), we want prospective MPs and Parliamentarians to listen to everyday consumers. During the election period, and subsequent formation of a new Parliament, we have produced a statement on the key issues we believe the next Parliament must consider if they wish to be aligned with the interests of consumers  — their constituents.

On the Economy:

• Use technology and innovation to drive economic growth. It is only by nurturing a system in which consumers and businesses command choice that the UK economy can achieve competition and once again aspire for prosperity.
• Encourage productivity rather than planning for stagnation. The Royal Statistics Society’s winner of the UK Statistic of the Decade for the late 2010s was 0.3%—indicating the annual productivity growth for the UK since the 2008 financial crisis. This bleak trend is set to continue this year with a measly 0.1%. To unlock higher wages, raise living standards and achieve more abundance for all, we must return to a growth mindset.  
• To unshackle productivity, clarify the tax system by eliminating the levies that discourage investment. Adopt an attitude of permissionless innovation rather than the precautionary principle, and end the disastrous temptation for the government to pick economic winners and losers. 
• Oppose any and all plans for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which would infringe on financial privacy and grant too much economic regulatory control over citizens.

On Housing Policy:

• Build more houses. The current housing supply situation is untenable. 
• The government should not consider a rent cap due to their economic inefficiency. 
• Relax permission restrictions and allow for more homes to be built in proximity to train and tube stations and other desirable locales.
• Streamline  “green belt” zoning restrictions in order to remove undeveloped and barren brown land.

On Healthcare Systems: 

• Study the experiences of other European healthcare systems to understand the meaningful difference between healthcare provision and healthcare coverage. Only then can the UK overcome the simplistic dichotomy between public and private which has stymied the National Health Service’s development.
• Unleash medical innovation and technology, such as telemedicine, AI and new equipment to assist in bringing NHS waiting lists down by allowing for regulatory harmonisation with other countries and systems (see the quick integration of cystic fibrosis medication like Kaftrio as a model) and incentivizing political-entrepreneurial initiative (see the pandemic vaccination rollout model).

On Agricultural Policy: 

• Rethink “rewilding” and other disincentives to farmers for producing the food we need.
• Build on genetic technology such as the Precision Breeding Act, by reasonably allowing for future New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in agriculture. 

On Technology:

• Promote and protect intellectual property rights to encourage technological investment and development in the UK Innovators will go where their ideas aren’t so easily stolen.
• “Tech neutrality” must be the guiding principle for energy policy.
• The government should encourage nuclear energy by fast-tracking the completion of the Hinkley Point C reactor and other similar projects, supported by technological advancements in renewable and sustainable energy. We can do this while not increasing fuel duty or preventing future oil drilling licences. 

On Lifestyle:

• Encourage nightlife by extending licences and allowing businesses to be open for as long as their interests enable them. We should return to the framework of the 2003 Licensing Act and move away from today’s status quo,  which has allowed almost no establishment to remain open 24/7. 
• Per the CCC’s Nightlife Index,  73%  of London consumers said it was riskier to travel at night; 48% of respondents were women who had stopped travelling after a particular hour altogether due to safety concerns. Help consumers feel safe by extending night-time transportation to 24 hours. 
• Slash beer tax to allow pubs to survive and thrive in the current economic climate. Let’s make success easier in the UK.
• Stop arbitrary restrictions on the promotion of products declared high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).
• Slash the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.
• The CCC is opposed to the reintroduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The government should support tobacco harm reduction methods and support smokers in their effort to switch to less harmful products, rather than criminalising them altogether.